New photos added to Tumblr...

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhGCfyPSjMCXTmG3q5O0sBx-4dToZs6So6ewyveKA0sgu-NRW5aEN4WSl89BKV4zqSeJFqPh-sTMQpB1iTuQaASLkVuB5U9bKlpia3g4ZB0wgKULNiU5743MAFU1pwpvSGz34VOUkgX0/s640/blogger-image-52162370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhGCfyPSjMCXTmG3q5O0sBx-4dToZs6So6ewyveKA0sgu-NRW5aEN4WSl89BKV4zqSeJFqPh-sTMQpB1iTuQaASLkVuB5U9bKlpia3g4ZB0wgKULNiU5743MAFU1pwpvSGz34VOUkgX0/s320/blogger-image-52162370.jpg" width="226" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEj1qBPavT1tuXp3PS3tw7KolJzr1fvcIE4DYLpJwt_atPW25e-fr42YLx5roT1vwfVR89WY_TJMdolwDdfoRbu7OPY-NaKwKTh-ou1tAIUuCOe86Sbsjr9sh14tk0KNVhHqutsjFENJc/s640/blogger-image--753928765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEj1qBPavT1tuXp3PS3tw7KolJzr1fvcIE4DYLpJwt_atPW25e-fr42YLx5roT1vwfVR89WY_TJMdolwDdfoRbu7OPY-NaKwKTh-ou1tAIUuCOe86Sbsjr9sh14tk0KNVhHqutsjFENJc/s320/blogger-image--753928765.jpg" width="320" /></a>My Sunday posting of inspirational photos on Tumblr... <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/blog/rjscott">http://www.tumblr.com/blog/rjscott</a>.<br /><br />Some NSFW.

New photos added to Tumblr...

My Sunday posting of inspirational photos on Tumblr... http://www.tumblr.com/blog/rjscott . Some NSFW.

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Texas Winter, Sequel to The Heart Of Texas

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n-WP5yVVqSM/ToHKu323xuI/AAAAAAAAAPs/hv8mb05M_28/s1600/Texas_Winter-RJ_Scott400x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n-WP5yVVqSM/ToHKu323xuI/AAAAAAAAAPs/hv8mb05M_28/s320/Texas_Winter-RJ_Scott400x600.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Don't forget the competition to win a signed copy of Heart of Texas...<a href="http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.com/2011/10/want-to-win-one-of-seven-prizes.html">want to win one of seven prizes?</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">oOo</span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Blurb</b></div><div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;">Riley’s past comes back to haunt him, both professionally and personally.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;">  The FBI wants to use him on a sting, an ex-con wants what is his, and to top it off, he discovers he has an eight-year-old daughter. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>Available to pre-order from </b></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/texas-winter-ebook-p-661">Silver Publishing</a>.</b></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">oOo</span></div></div><div><b><br /></b><b>Excerpt (unedited)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>To see his daughter on Red, making all the rookie mistakes of a first time rider, was just really an excuse to stare at Jack as he led Red and the precious cargo around the paddock. Hayley wasn't talking; she had her lower lip caught in her teeth, and she was concentrating about as hard as Riley had ever seen her. Jack was chatting about something, probably guidance on how to sit and how to guide Red to do what she wanted him to. Riley pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures. <br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br />"She's so beautiful up there," Jim began conversationally. <br /><br />"She is." <br /><br />"A natural," he added, but Riley knew Jim was biased just as he and Jack were. "I left the papers you need to sign in the kitchen in an envelope." Riley looked at his dad with confusion. <br /><br />"That was quick. Shouldn't there be more, I don't know, difficulty?" <br /><br />"Not at all. You knew what you wanted, and I just need your signature to transfer the money." <br /><br />"Am I doing the right thing?" <br /><br />"You're a rich man, Riley. Most rich men have trusts set up for their children." <br /><br />"What if…" How the hell was he going to explain the things that haunted him at night when he was trying to sleep? "What if we hadn't had all that money, if we had been a normal family?" <br /><br />"Are you thinking about Jeff specifically?" <br /><br />"Not just him, but Gerald and what he was like, and my mom, and what happened to you. All the things that were so wrong." <br /><br />"Hey, Daddy, Grandpa! Look at me!" <br /><br />Red didn't even react to the shout, bless him. He just kept on walking. When Jack said the pony was good with children, he hadn’t been wrong. Hayley was close and looked like she wanted to wave but wouldn’t let go of the death hold she had on the reigns. Riley grinned over her and waved, as did Jim. Jack quirked a smile at them both and set off on another circle of the small training paddock. <br /><br />"Quite apart from everything else, son, there was something very wrong with Jeff. He had evil inside of him, so ingrained it wouldn't have mattered if your family was a pastor's family from Ohio."</div></div>

Texas Winter, Sequel to The Heart Of Texas

Don't forget the competition to win a signed copy of Heart of Texas... want to win one of seven prizes? oOo Blurb Riley’s past comes bac...

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Question About Christmas songs in America

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RXCEdrnaFlY?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><br />My favorite Christmas song is Greg Lake's 'I believe in Father Christmas' and I am sucker for Wizard and Shaky...<br /><br />My question is: For my American friends - what Christmas 'pop' tunes are played over and over on your radios / TV in  the lead up to Christmas?

Question About Christmas songs in America

My favorite Christmas song is Greg Lake's 'I believe in Father Christmas' and I am sucker for Wizard and Shaky... My question ...

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Broken Memories (In The Shadow Of The Wolf #2)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk07KzA4zaxM-27gCcdak82yyW29u8b7JxyRzWUvn4FdgChZ-gzKXD5oAWnRLzcP-G7076nPJ8XnMbZerCndK6B_1d3-o4geFb_NB2K8D3uifBvwV2mPcTVH4kbyK-Y-DTah93U3m4IQ/s1600/Broken+Memories+400x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk07KzA4zaxM-27gCcdak82yyW29u8b7JxyRzWUvn4FdgChZ-gzKXD5oAWnRLzcP-G7076nPJ8XnMbZerCndK6B_1d3-o4geFb_NB2K8D3uifBvwV2mPcTVH4kbyK-Y-DTah93U3m4IQ/s400/Broken+Memories+400x600.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">In the Shadow of the Wolf Series</span></strong><br /> <em>Written with Diane Adams</em></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Book 1 - <a href="http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/shattered-secrets-in-shadow-of-wolf-1.html">Shattered Secrets</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Book 2 - Broken Memories</div><div style="text-align: left;">Book 3 - <a href="http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/whats-next-from-diane-adams-and-rj.html">Splintered Lies</a></div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Book</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdN2pQtlvtcsRnW-tqCV6hC9Gv61qHVHWe3-QAWsRs0UtxIC0g3LSCGQBWYrNl5L4PAmCc81qgYsllMIZD7foeTY17_JUC5SlczI1WQD4WqVXe8L3sK5xhfE6A_P9i7sKEHKl1lEzJow/s1600/64246_434678613281893_1653726542_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdN2pQtlvtcsRnW-tqCV6hC9Gv61qHVHWe3-QAWsRs0UtxIC0g3LSCGQBWYrNl5L4PAmCc81qgYsllMIZD7foeTY17_JUC5SlczI1WQD4WqVXe8L3sK5xhfE6A_P9i7sKEHKl1lEzJow/s1600/64246_434678613281893_1653726542_n.jpg" /></a>Sam Harrison remembers nothing of his former life. All he knows is that he has nightmares that won't leave him alone and an irrational fear of shifting from human to wolf.<br /> </div><br />Doug McKenna has little respect for any wolf that isn’t strong. That Sam was near broken is something he can't at first reconcile. Still, Sam needs looking after and Doug thinks he is the one that should be doing the looking.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buy Links - eBook</b></span><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="https://www.lovelanebooks.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21&products_id=44" target="_blank">Love Lane Books</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E1GNF1A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E1GNF1A&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-20" target="_blank">Amazon (US)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E1GNF1A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00E1GNF1A&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-21" target="_blank">Amazon (UK)</a> | <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-brokenmemories-1246179-145.html" target="_blank">All Romance</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broken-memories-rj-scott/1107866788?ean=2940045160476" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/broken-memories-1" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/rj-scott/broken-memories/_/R-400000000000001096904" target="_blank">Sony</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/338881" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Reviews</strong></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b><a href="http://erotica.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Lilyraines-reviews-Broken-Memories-by-Diane-Adams-and-RJ-Scott">Night Owl Reviews</a> - 4/5: </b>I liked quite a bit about this story - the writing style, the characters, the pace, and the ending.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/broken-memories.html?zx=146e8af0c25de403">Literary Nymphs</a> - 4/5: ... </b>Add these things together with sizzling hot sex, interesting secondary characters and good dialogue and you have everything needed for an entertaining paranormal read. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Excerpt:</span></b><br /><br /><b>Chapter 1</b><br /><div><br /></div><div>“You gonna be okay with this, Sam?” Jamie asked softly.<br /><br />Sam looked away from the window when Jamie twisted around in his seat wearing his patented “I’m worried” look.<br /><br />“I’m fine,” Sam answered, quickly offering the practiced reply with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. He returned his gaze to the side window as they left the city behind and drew closer to the forests at the foot of the mountains. In fact, because Jamie continued to stare at him, Sam looked at anything but Jamie. Actually making eye contact with the young wolf encouraged Jamie to spend more time being all concerned and supportive. Sam was uncomfortable enough here in the car without Jamie mothering him and Rob glaring at him.<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br />“He said he’s fine,” Rob grumbled at his lover, dropping a gear and allowing the car its head on the winding country roads. Sam observed Jamie turning to face front in the mirrored glass of his window.<br /><br />“I’m just checking,” he heard Jamie say sulkily. “He isn’t supposed to be standing a lot. We don’t know how long the service will be.”<br /><br />“He’s a grown man, Jamie. He’ll move if he needs to. Just leave it.”<br /><br />Sam wanted to shout “I’m sitting right here, guys”, but he couldn’t have hid the irritation in his voice if he had tried. An uncomfortable silence filled the car, and then, not able to stay quiet for long, Jamie began a conversation. As usual, he started with a question aimed right between Sam’s eyes.<br /><br />“Did you remember anything today yet?” At least he hadn’t turned around in his seat. Sam was sure his reaction would be written on his face.<br /><br />“No,” Sam said, allowing all of his irritation to color the word he spat out hard and fast.<br /><br />“Jamie…” Rob’s voice held a note of warning.<br /><br />Great. Jamie subsided in silence, and yet again, Rob had become the buffer between Jamie and Sam. Sam liked Jamie. After all, it had been Jamie who had looked after him in that room at the warehouse. Jamie who hadn’t done what he’d been told to do—completely break him. Jamie, who instead had petted him and given him meds and protected him when he was at his most vulnerable. Frustration skittered through him, and his wolf growled inside his head. It wanted out, and it wanted out now. Every time Sam remembered the room and the fractured images of Jamie he had collected and filed in his otherwise empty brain, all he could feel was utter desolation.<br /><br />Jamie had taken him under his wing, taking full responsibility for him. Sam was even living with Rob and him in their small apartment, tucked away in a tiny room he shared with a gym machine and a desk. Guilt churned in his stomach. Jamie was only trying to help, so why wasn’t Sam letting him? It was what any responsible wolf did—looking out for their kind. So what fractured part of Sam was stopping the connection? What part of him didn’t want to connect as a wolf and allow Jamie and Rob to help him?<br /><br />“Sorry,” he offered carefully, and this time Jamie turned back to face him. His eyes were wide with concern, and he smiled gently.<br /><br />“It’s okay; I’m sorry too. Rob says I’m in your face too much.”<br /><br />“Where’s Doug?” Sam changed the subject. “Are we picking him up?” He hoped they weren’t picking up Doug. He didn’t think he could handle any more of the other wolf’s disapproving looks or the constant sniping about Sam not making the effort to heal himself.<br /><br />“He’s meeting us there. His car was in the shop, and he needed to pick it up.”<br /><br />They left it at that. Sam didn’t want to discuss Doug anyway. He closed his eyes and listened to Jamie and Rob talking about the funeral and the implications of what had happened. Both men had a cloud of anxiety around them but for different reasons. Sam had observed the two of them together. Rob had real fear about losing Jamie in some horrible way. It wasn’t difficult to see that for all the difficulties and pitfalls of a human/wolf relationship, they were clearly in love. Rob was close to Joe, had known Mara, his wife, very well, and had been quietly thoughtful since he had heard about Mara dying. Jamie spent his time being supportive when he wasn’t nagging Sam to remember a past his brain clearly didn’t want to handle.<br /><br />Sam didn’t really know this other wolf cop, Joe. Joe had been in the hospital with his wife when Rob had rescued him and Jamie from the warehouse. All he knew was the wife had died and her unborn baby had died with her, a terrible tragedy. He hadn’t meant to come today, not even when Jamie said he could borrow some dress pants and a shirt from him. Not even when Rob had told him it wasn’t a problem for him not to attend and he could safely skip going. As yet, he hadn’t analyzed why he was here. Apparently he was a very polite wolf who wanted to show his appreciation for their help, and he saw his attendance as a mark of his respect for Rob and Jamie. They had housed and fed him for a week now. His gratitude and guilt made for uneasy bed partners, and he wanted to support them in what they were doing.<br /><br />They pulled into the cemetery, parked, and Rob was out of the car in an instant. Jamie watched and waited, and Sam looked past him through the windshield, trying not to make it look obvious. Rob was talking to another man, shorter with dark blond hair and clothed in the same police-issue dress as Rob.<br /><br />“That’s Joe,” Jamie said. “Rob says he’s not doing so well.”<br /><br />“I can imagine,” Sam replied, for want of something else to say.<br /><br />Jamie opened his door and climbed out. He crossed immediately to Joe and tilted his head, exposing his throat, and Joe inclined his head at the respect Jamie showed. He then pulled the wolf close and held him briefly.<br /><br />Sam froze in his seat. He wasn’t ready to show his vulnerable side to another wolf, let alone touch one. Luckily, fate intervened and there was enough distraction for him to leave the car unnoticed and hang at the back of the group. Two more cars arrived, people spilling out in a tumble of cop blue and dark suits, and Joe was swallowed by the group. Jamie returned to stand next to Sam, and he wasn’t surprised to see his roommate’s eyes filled with tears.<br /><br />“We’re going to the graveside. You okay?” Jamie asked. Sam nodded and waited as Jamie seemed to want to say something else. Probably some stuff about how Sam should be careful standing for so long. Jamie said nothing, just glanced over to where Rob stood, somber and supportive next to Joe.<br /><br />Sam hated funerals. He didn’t know how he knew this. Maybe it would be safer to say, given his lack of memories to guide him, it was this particular funeral he hated. The discomfort of being amongst so many wolves and humans was very real, and his chest tightened. Pulling every single reserve from inside himself, he followed as the group moved to the graveside in an area where others of his kind lay in their final resting places. Was Sam the only one here who could feel the hum of the earth under his feet through the sacred ground? This cemetery was old, and his wolf was restless under his skin, reacting to the vibrations of ancient energy. He glanced around, but no one else seemed to be overly concerned with what they might or might not be feeling through the earth. It was frustrating, and remembering nothing of his life made the human part of his nature unsettled. The wolf half of him was trying so damn hard to balance the man, but it didn’t help.<br /><br />The mourners ranged around Joe, and with deference, Sam took a position right at the back of the group, slightly apart.<br /><br />To see Joe was to see grief personified. He was in his full uniform, dark blue, with the wolf shadow insignia of the wolf/cop liaison unit emblazoned on the sleeve of his jacket. Absolutely still, he stared ahead at the coffin covered in complicated wreaths and single white flowers. The scent of the wood traveled in the air to Sam, and a flash of another casket appeared in his thoughts. Just as rapidly, the image dissipated until he couldn’t even picture what he may have seen. Flashes of the other him probably, the one with a full complement of memories that snapped into his head at the weirdest times. A scent or a word and his brain suddenly split open with pain and sensation. His wolf wanted him to feel the visceral pain, but self-preservation pushed at the ache until it left the other half of him growling and spitting inside.<br /><br />Joe stood next to the coffin, shuffling three pieces of paper. Sam’s wolf, sensing Joe’s grief, wanted nothing more than to offer his support as a pack member. Sam ruthlessly pushed the thought down. Sam Harrison was a cubicle worker with no freaking memory and a half-broken mind added to injuries he’d rather not think about. Sam was not, and never would be, a member of some loosely bound cop pack that included humans. Angry with his thoughts, without really knowing why, he concentrated on bringing all his attention back to Joe.<br /><br />“Mara once said to me…” Joe looked down at his hands and then back up at the people who stood around them. He blinked in the sunlight cast by the low-lying autumn sun that touched his face. “She said, ‘Joe, when you tell me it’s not dangerous, I take a long hot bath and have a glass of wine. When you say you’ll be home for dinner, I just put your plate in the microwave. And when you say Rob or Nick or Dan has called and they need you for ten minutes? Well, I have an early night where I dream good things and try not to worry.’”<br /><br />Joe looked to the rest of his team on his right with a rueful smile on his face, his eyes dark with emotion. Sam followed the gaze to look at the men Joe called friends—Rob, Dan, and Nick. Rob, with Jamie’s hand in his, nodded and closed his eyes briefly.<br /><br />Dan was in the middle. He looked devastated, and grief was carved into his expression. Apparently Dan and Joe were close outside the intense links that exist between cop partners. Dan and his girlfriend and Joe and his wife had been a foursome, now utterly broken by Mara’s death.<br /><br />Sam closed his eyes briefly and concentrated hard on that one relationship. Friendship. He examined the dynamic in his head and attempted to remember some kind of similar connection in his own life. There was nothing, just a complete emptiness of anything that might have gone before. He opened his eyes again, frustration pushed to one side as Joe continued to talk.<br /><br />“She always said the job was my mistress.” Joe interrupted his speech to give a half-hearted smile, memories probably causing him to pause as he remembered his wife. “She kept telling me she almost wished I had a girlfriend because she knew how to fight that but had no idea how to fight the job or the cop it held tight. I tried to explain my day—what I’d seen and done—at the start of our relationship. Then I didn’t. Being open with her didn’t stop overnight, but she became my safe place, and I didn’t want to let real life in. In a world so full of the bad things that the days run into each other, she was everything good.”<br /><br />He rustled the papers in his hand. Sam couldn’t have been the only one who noticed he wasn’t actually reading from his notes. Joe was speaking from the heart. Compassion welled in Sam’s chest, restricting his breathing as it overwhelmed him. Losing a loved one must be the singularly most soul-destroying event in a person’s life. He hoped that, if he ever got his memories back, he discovered his parents were alive and his siblings, if he had any, were all well and safe and happy. To remember a forgotten grief would surely be like living through it again.<br /><br />“She had to put up with so much from me.” Joe stopped again and looked up at the wide expanse of sky, fighting back tears. “Just like any cop’s wife, I guess. For most people, when their life partner says they’ll be at home at half past seven and isn’t home until nine, there are so many innocent reasons. Working late, getting take-out, shopping, or visiting with a friend, even a traffic jam at road construction. The problem was I’m not most people. Mara and I didn’t live in a world where we had the luxury of believing nothing bad would ever happen to someone we cared about.”<br /><br />Sam glanced at Rob and Jamie who were holding hands and imagined the horrors that must live inside Rob’s head at the ways he could lose his lover; those same horrors must live inside any cop’s head.<br /><br />Joe coughed, his emotions thick in his throat. “When she was ten minutes late, I worried something awful had happened. I saw death too often to think it could never happen, and the thought of my best friend never walking through the front door again didn’t bear thinking about. It would eat away inside me, and I could imagine car accidents, murders, death in any one of a hundred ways.” He inhaled, taking a breath of the crisp fall air and then bowed his head, grief in every line of his body.<br /><br />Nick stood stoic at the end of the line, closest at right angles to Joe. Only an arm’s length away from his friend, he was tense and drawn, his gaze firmly fixed on Joe. Sam scented despair and love. There was more to Nick and Joe than just good friends and colleagues; they were more like brothers. Nick was Joe’s wolf partner at the precinct, and they shared so much. It was an intense relationship and the look of utter determination on Nick’s face displayed his complete focus on supporting Joe. Nick looked about to move—Sam saw the coiled tension in the other man—but he didn’t take one step. Nick had clearly decided Joe needed to do this alone and stayed in his position.<br /><br />“As the minutes ticked by, I would become convinced something had happened. I would sit in the house and listen to the scanner to see if I could hear anything. The thought of losing her was too overwhelming because she was the one thing to keep me steady through the bad times. She guided me and settled me when it was all too much. And now…she’s gone.” Joe’s voice broke.<br /><br />The insistent pain in Sam’s lower back chose that moment to become a spasm that took his breath and threatened to take him to his knees. He stumbled back and caught himself quickly. It wouldn’t be a good thing to freaking collapse at a funeral. He must have made a sound because Jamie turned and looked back. He needed to say he was okay and just go back to the car, but everyone had looked at him now, and Jamie was making to move. Then a hand gripped him, and a growl of a voice said simply, “I’ve got him.”<br /><br />Through a pain-filled haze, he looked up at the owner of the voice and instantly wished he hadn’t as his wolf scratched at him to get out. With dark hair, dark eyes, and the body of an athlete, the man who had hold of him set his lips in a stern line because he held an intense hatred of what Sam was. No compassion sparked in his eyes, and he said nothing else.<br /><br />Doug had finally arrived, and Sam hadn’t even scented his approach.<br /><br />Sam wanted to pull his arm away, but he couldn’t make a scene in front of the other mourners who all seemed to be focused on Joe again. The pain radiating from his lower spine was crumbling his defenses, and the one man who typically didn’t want anything to do with him was the one helping him to the parking area.<br /><br />He stumbled and heard a muttered curse from Doug. Far enough away from the group to let his tongue loosen, he pulled his arm away from Doug and made his feelings very clear.<br /><br />“Leave me alone,” Sam managed to force out past gritted teeth.<br /><br />“Leave you to fall on the ground? Jamie’d skin me.”<br /><br />“I won’t f-fall on the-the ground,” he stuttered. He used his free hand to push into his pocket and pull out two round tablets—muscle relaxants, the only things that stopped the pain. He pushed them in his mouth and dry swallowed past the bile rising in his throat.<br /><br />“You’re still on meds?” Doug sounded horrified.<br /><br />“I said… Leave. M-me. Alone.” Doug let go of his arm with a frustrated huff and stood by as Sam stumbled but managed to support himself on a gravestone. Sam glanced down at the words engraved in the old stone and sent a silent thank you to Aster Matthews—wife, mother, wolf—whose marker was there to help him stand. He inhaled as deeply as he could, and then, exhaling, he attempted straightening his spine, not the best idea as the spasm increased. Instead of coming in waves, it now seemed constant. He gritted his teeth, watching distaste pass across Doug’s face and then exasperation in his expression as he took a step closer to help.<br /><br />“You can’t even stand properly, let alone walk,” Doug snapped.<br /><br />“Fuck off,” Sam growled.<br /><br />“You need help—”<br /><br />“Don’t n-need h-help from you,” Sam expanded. Doug was clearly ignoring him because he slid an arm under Sam’s and took his weight. Breathless with pain, Sam couldn’t argue, and step by step, with his wolf snapping and snarling and demanding release, they finally made it to the car.<br /><br /><br /><br />Doug settled him in the back seat, but it wasn’t Rob’s car. The scents—spices and tea tree—were different. Doug’s car. The journey had been a blur, the pain too intense, and it was a blessing unconsciousness claimed him to give his body time to heal.<br /><br /> </div>

Broken Memories (In The Shadow Of The Wolf #2)

In the Shadow of the Wolf Series   Written with Diane Adams   Book 1 - Shattered Secrets Book 2 - Broken Memories Book 3 - Splintered Lies T...

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Texas Winter (sequel to Heart of Texas)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O79IYDh2ypaGWAuY_VkDRpL9jau5eZ6_P_HJuER-P-8Yh3DWxF09tfqetTboZ9bTq5vPKGzBueL2WuM_KZ2TEMV3PQs89vEmzcnf4ivABxqSBsE7AF0YiPB9R0guzmuUwLUr1uLnP9Q/s1600/Texas+Winter+600x900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O79IYDh2ypaGWAuY_VkDRpL9jau5eZ6_P_HJuER-P-8Yh3DWxF09tfqetTboZ9bTq5vPKGzBueL2WuM_KZ2TEMV3PQs89vEmzcnf4ivABxqSBsE7AF0YiPB9R0guzmuUwLUr1uLnP9Q/s400/Texas+Winter+600x900.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Texas Series</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Book 1 - <a href="http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/heart-of-texas.html">The Heart of Texas</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Book 2 - </span><span style="font-size: small;">Texas Winter</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Book 3 - </span><a href="http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/texas-heat.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Texas Heat</span></a><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Book 4 - Texas Family (Coming Soon)</span></span><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Book</span></b><br /><b></b><br />Riley’s past comes back to haunt him both professionally and personally.<br /><br />His dead brother left more than just bitter memories for Riley to deal with. The FBI get involved and suddenly it is more than his good name that is on the line. Jack is always there for him but how much more can Riley’s husband reasonably be able to understand?<br /><br />Especially when Riley finds out on his delayed honeymoon that he has a eight year old daughter he never knew existed…<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buy Links - eBooks</b></span></div><div></div><div><br /><a href="https://www.lovelanebooks.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=32" target="_blank">Love Lane Books</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8LRX12/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D8LRX12&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-20" target="_blank">Amazon (US)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D8LRX12/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00D8LRX12&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-21" target="_blank">Amazon (UK)</a> | <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-texaswinter-1217014-149.html" target="_blank">All Romance</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/texas-winter-rj-scott/1107757174?ean=2940044573062" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/texas-winter-texas-2" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/rj-scott/texas-winter-texas-2/_/R-400000000000001063707" target="_blank">Sony</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/306570" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buy Links - Print Book</b></span></div><div></div><div><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484096762/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1484096762&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-20" target="_blank">Amazon (US)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1484096762/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1484096762&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-21" target="_blank">Amazon (UK)</a></div><div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reviews</b></span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjZa9LPXz66epc8euploHLvtODn2BV5NmCkaknxmmiLVK665r0LQOn2b_QDdrfQRwFQTuycI0xZvBnMCeFUUtXs3hUkXjZIUPjYiUfIrkzg0uVKmjtcVieFUqIrRTGRQ_f1QfZlUGYos/s1600/reviewertoppick2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjZa9LPXz66epc8euploHLvtODn2BV5NmCkaknxmmiLVK665r0LQOn2b_QDdrfQRwFQTuycI0xZvBnMCeFUUtXs3hUkXjZIUPjYiUfIrkzg0uVKmjtcVieFUqIrRTGRQ_f1QfZlUGYos/s1600/reviewertoppick2.png" /></a><b><a href="http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Lilyraines-reviews-Texas-Winter-by-RJ-Scott" target="_blank">Night Owl Reviews</a></b> - "....The writing flows in such a way that, if there are any bumps they are not noticed and the characters do not come across as singular aspects in that, while Jack is steady, he is also temperamental and caring. Riley may come across as lacking in confidence, but he draws strength from Jack and has a temper of his own.<br /><br />Wonderful read...."<br /><br /><a href="http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/texas-winter-by-rj-scott/"><b>Top2Bottom Reviews 4/5</b></a> - Drama, humor, and a precocious child make for a heartwarming story of what it means to be a family, to trust and to protect those you love, even when you might not go about it in just the right way. Sometimes even the best of intentions can lead to mistakes, which Riley isn’t immune to, but it’s never in question that his family, his husband and daughter, are his number one priority ... For fans of The Heart of Texas, Texas Winter won’t disappoint.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlrB1900E0fG8ZDDL-7DvseoalMfQBABOBzVFCWMjdPEyJhmDqSJ_V2A5uhqbT6ugyZ_SRPhHMUHgY5BjegmUmTpI2TU1qXi_I0fm1gjpNEVmcCpZ4hBzjV0hILdDlQyfuGIBxluF4KI/s1600/texas+winter+print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlrB1900E0fG8ZDDL-7DvseoalMfQBABOBzVFCWMjdPEyJhmDqSJ_V2A5uhqbT6ugyZ_SRPhHMUHgY5BjegmUmTpI2TU1qXi_I0fm1gjpNEVmcCpZ4hBzjV0hILdDlQyfuGIBxluF4KI/s320/texas+winter+print.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><a href="http://paperbackdolls.com/?p=12981" target="_blank">Paperback Dolls</a></b> - Overall, this was a fantastic read. The setting was familiar and beautifully depicted, the characters are dynamic, the plot is as thick as peanut butter, and the emotion driving each scene is enough to stop your heart. I actually DID cry while reading a few of the scenes in Texas Winter. R.J. Scott has a way of tugging at your heartstrings and making you feel as if you are experiencing the emotions of the characters as the story unfolds. I highly recommend this book.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.rainbow-reviews.com/book-reviews/texas-winter-texas-2-by-rj-scott-at-silver-publishing" target="_blank">Rainbow Book Reviews</a></b> - If you like family drama, enjoy two men adapting to having an eight-year-old daughter, and don’t mind the odd criminal poking in their nose to stir things up, then you will probably love this book as much as I did. It really is a great sequel – just make sure you read Heart of Texas first, you'll enjoy this second book a lot more if you do. Bring on number three, RJ!!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Excerpt</span></b><br /><br /><b>Chapter 1 </b><br /><br />"The phone," Jack mumbled. Blindly reaching past Riley and fumbling for the offending item, he managed to grab and check who was calling—unknown number. Irritation shot through him, but he wasn't sure if it was at the offending caller or that Riley's phone wasn't on silent for their precious two hours of sleep. He could just imagine it was a freaking reporter, still after interviews even after all this time. A whole year had passed since Jeff's shooting, and the tabloid press remained hungry for Campbell-Hayes stories.<br /><br />"What?" Riley was about as lucid as Jack and raised his head with half-open eyes. His blond hair was sleep mussed, and probably, Jack considered, sex mussed. His hazel eyes looked bloodshot, and in a second, it wasn't irritation Jack felt for Riley's inability to turn off his cell, but affection and love. <br /><br />"Go back to sleep," he ordered. Riley didn't argue, and he lay back down on the pillow and resumed the rhythmic heavy breathing Jack had become used to. Jack tried to sleep himself, but even though the instant panic he had felt at the call had subsided, his brain refused to stop thinking. Cautiously he edged out of the huge bed and snuck a quick look at the early morning outside their villa. The Caribbean Sea was a sparkling sapphire blue, and the beach to the shore line was empty of a single soul. <br /><br />When Riley had presented Jack with tickets for what he enthusiastically called a honeymoon, Jack had every single excuse under the sun ready to go. The horses needed him. His mom was getting too friendly with the veterinarian they used. Emily had started to talk, and they didn't want to miss that. Josh was busy with the newest addition to his family, baby Sarah, and couldn't watch the D. The ranch itself, the Double D, needed new fencing, and Jack had to be the one to do the work. Riley listened to every one. In fact, the excuses filled a good ten minutes. Jack said it wasn't even that he didn't want to go. Hell, the thought of any time alone with Riley sounded good to him. It was just… Kicking back and doing nothing? It would be a first for Jack, and the thought of it didn't sit comfortably. Riley, the bastard, did what he was good at. He said nothing at all and simply allowed Jack to get it all off his chest. Then he just looked at Jack with soulful eyes and a pleading expression on his face. <br /><br />"It's only ten days, and I need the time with you." It had been such a simple statement, but it had been enough to win Jack to Riley's way of thinking in an instant. The last year had been full of ups and downs, but Jack's worries were so small compared to everything Riley had been through. His brother dying, his sister-in-law being responsible for his murder, and his father taking the blame before succumbing to cancer himself. Then there was the whole parentage issue with Beth's baby. Riley worked hard, and he and Jack played hard, but so often Riley would get lost in everything that had happened and guilt tripped him up on his face. Added to this, Riley was hip deep in working on the auction for exploration rights of tens of millions of acres of undersea minerals in the western Gulf of Mexico. As young as he was, Riley's expertise, and his position on the board of Hayes Oil was enough for his fledgling consultancy in ethical exploration for oil to grow exponentially. There had been too many days apart, and Jack didn't like to think of himself as clingy, but jeez, at least one full weekend together would be good. <br /><br />"Okay, we'll go," Jack had finally agreed. And thank God he had. Because this meant he was with Riley in this paradise and he could slip open the door, step onto the golden sands, and then run to the water. Diving into the cerulean sea would be a sharp cold slap in the face at this time of the morning, but there were only two better ways to wake up in Jack's opinion—either lying with Riley's arms wrapped around him or standing at the corral fence and watching the Texas dawn spread over his land. He unlocked the door and opened it quietly. <br /><br />"Don't go." <br /><br />Jack stopped at the words and looked back at the bed where he had left a comatose Riley, expecting to see his lover, his husband, awake but sleepy. Instead he got an eyeful of sheets pushed back to reveal six-four of tanned muscled naked Riley. Not only that, but Riley had a hand around a rather impressive morning erection and had the biggest, most suggestive grin on his face Jack had seen since yesterday morning's welcoming smile. <br /><br />"I wanted a swim," Jack said. <br /><br />"And I want you naked and draped over me." Riley arched up into his fist, and it was a beautiful sight—his husband naked and ready, acres of warm, toned skin available to touch. <br /><br />"Is that supposed to make me stay, het-boy?" Jack belied the joking words as he locked the door and let the drapes fall back, the room moving from lighter to darker in an instant. It wasn't dark enough to hide the mouthwatering sight of Riley Campbell-Hayes running his hand up and down himself and arching his back into the motion. Riley reached out with his free hand and grabbed the nearly empty bottle of lube from the bedside cabinet. He aimed and then threw the lube at Jack, who caught it deftly. <br /><br />"One of us is overdressed." Riley looked pointedly at the shorts Jack had pulled on to go for a swim. Jack pasted an innocent look on his face and pushed the shorts down his legs until they pooled on the floor. If he took a little extra time to do so, then sue him. Riley wasn't the only one who could tease. <br /><br />"What do you want me to do with this?" Jack indicated the lube in his hand. He climbed as gracefully as he could onto the bed and straddled Riley's knees, taking his fill of the striking toned body laid out under him. From wide shoulders to narrow hips, broad chest to an impressive dick, Riley was perfection personified. Not to mention the slight scattering of dark blond hair on Riley's chest and two dark-tinted nipples there waiting to be sucked and bitten. <br /><br />"It's my turn, cowboy," Riley said, "so I'm guessin' you need to be gettin' on with some fingers in your ass." Jack loved it when Riley was so turned on his accent slid from educated city boy to pure Texan cowboy in an instant. <br /><br />"Your turn, huh?" Jack began seriously. He opened the lube and poured more than a generous amount on his fingers. They may well have made love last night and into the morning, but shit, Riley's dick was freaking huge, and he really needed to make sure he was stretched enough to be comfortable. <br /><br />"Check the notches on my side of the headboard." Riley arched into his fist and ran his tongue over his bottom lip, leaving a slide of glistening moisture. It was an invitation Jack couldn't refuse. Despite the hottest sex he had ever experienced in his life with a lover who didn't hold back, at the end of the day, it was the intimacy of kissing Jack ached to share. He leaned down and traced the path of Riley's tongue with his own, pulling at his husband's lower lip with his teeth and releasing the plump skin. The kisses deepened, and as they kissed, Jack was leaning on one hand and using the other to loosen and lubricate himself. His dick was ready, leaking and so freaking hard. Every so often it brushed Riley's in electric contact. His husband's hand snaked around Jack, joining Jack's fingers and stretching with him. With the feel of the digits inside him and the lube, Jack was panting his need into Riley's mouth way too fast. He pushed himself down on Riley's fingers then raised himself off, before shuffling higher up the bed and using his lubed hand to line Riley up. In seconds they were together, Riley buried so far inside, and the shock of pain and discomfort dissipating in the desperation of need and want. Jack set the rhythm, leaning in briefly for more kisses and then sitting up. Riley wrapped his hands around his dick, and he closed his eyes. The sight and sound of Riley arching and moaning and pleading was going to send him over the edge far too fast to stop. <br /><br />"Open your eyes," Riley pleaded. All Jack could do was shake his head. "Please. Open them. See me when we come together." Jack's orgasm was building, and with thrust after thrust, completion came closer. Riley's hand on his dick became more erratic. This was a sure sign he was close, and finally, Jack opened his eyes. Riley's face was flushed red, his eyes wide, his mouth slack, and Jack let himself go. With a final move, a twist and the scrape of Riley's dick over his prostate, he lost it hot and wet over Riley's stomach. The tensing of his muscles sent Riley high and the feeling of being filled was exquisite. <br /><br />"I love you, Jack." <br /><br />"I love you too," Jack answered as he pulled off as gently as he could and slid boneless to one side of Riley. "God, I love you." <br /><br /><br /><br />* * * * <br /><br /><br /><br />Laughing like kids, they grabbed swim shorts and suntan lotion and set off for the beach. Jack packed a bag with towels and books and a multitude of other vital beach stuff. Riley picked up his phone, but after a second's consideration, which Jack watched without making it obvious, he simply dropped it in the top drawer. They only had two more days here, and Jack was relieved Riley was finally letting go of the office. <br /><br />They spent all day at the shoreline, talking, planning and discussing the family. <br /><br />"He's a nice guy," Riley offered carefully. Jack shook his head in denial. <br /><br />"He's twenty years younger than Mom," Jack had the age gap worked out to the nearest day in his head the minute his mom revealed she had affection for Neil Kendrick, the new veterinary at the horse practice they used. <br /><br />"But he makes her happy." <br /><br />"He's living in a one-room rental." <br /><br />"He only moved there three months ago, give him a break." <br /><br />"He's not what I want for her." <br /><br />"It's her choice." <br /><br />"It might be a money thing. Maybe I should get a PI to check him out." <br /><br />"For God's sake, Jack, you can't get a PI to check out the vet just because your momma is sweet on him." <br /><br />Jack subsided into silence as he couldn't think of what say. It wasn't that he didn't want his mom to be happy. He did. Beth and Josh had families, he had Riley, and she had spent so much time being there for her family she had left herself on her own. Neil seemed like a nice enough guy, so maybe he should listen to Riley or have a quiet word. Jeez. It was the age gap… that was all. He looked over at Riley who was face down on the towel. Every second Riley was out here he lost more of the office pallor he wore so well. He was turning brown as a nut. <br /><br />"I'm not saying you're right," Jack offered grudgingly. "But he's a nice enough guy, good with horses. I'll…" When his voice trailed off, Riley looked up at him expectantly. "I'll try. Okay?" <br /><br />Riley smiled his approval and then clambered to stand. "I'm hungry," he said, and patted his stomach to emphasize his words. <br /><br />"You're always hungry," Jack muttered as he used Riley's offered hand to stand up. They hugged quickly, and Jack luxuriated in the expanse of Riley's warm skin. Hugging for no other reason than to feel was good. They finally pulled apart to pick up the items they'd bought with them <br /><br />"Shower. Food. Nap. Sex." Riley counted off the options in order on his fingers, and slowly, hand in hand, they made their way back to the weathered villa at the tree line. <br /><br />The shower was heaven, the food was delivered as they dried off, and they consumed it all with uncurbed enthusiasm. The nap was more cuddling and talking than actual sleeping and was only disturbed when Riley's phone sounded again from the drawer. <br /><br />"I'm expecting a call from Travers and the consortium," Riley explained. With a wryly apologetic expression on his face he opened the drawer and pulled out the iPhone, glancing down at the screen and double-taking as he read. Jack read over his shoulder. <br /><br />"Twelve missed calls and three voicemails?" Jack said. "Is this consortium thing a problem for you?" Riley hadn't said much about the latest consultation he was involved in apart from the usual. Setting up CH Consultancy had been tough on Riley on top of everything else. He was in the house office one hell of a lot, and his cell phone was his constant companion. <br /><br />"Not really," Riley answered. "Thought it was done and dusted before we left for here." He thumbed to his voicemail. The list only had one name on it—Eden Hayes. Jack watched as Riley listened to his voicemails, watching his husband's reaction for any clues as to what the problem was. Riley just looked more and more confused each second that went past. <br /><br />Then he went white. Literally every single element of color left his face, and he dropped the cell. It fell to the floor and bounced to a stop next to the mini fridge. <br /><br />"Ri?" Jack said, shocked. Riley didn't say a thing. He just stared at Jack with a mixture of loss and utter shock. "What is it? Talk to me." Still no reply, and Jack was growing more scared. "Is it the family? Eden? Beth's baby? What?" <br /><br />"It was Eden," Riley finally offered. His voice was dead flat with no emotion. "She's sending the jet. We have to go home." Riley stood and crossed to the suitcases, opening his and scooping clothes from the closet haphazardly into the space. Jack wasn't sure what to say, but actions spoke louder than words. He stopped Riley with a firm grip on muscled arms, and he pushed himself into Riley's space. <br /><br />"What's wrong? Tell me what's happened." He shook Riley slightly to snap him out of whatever shock was driving the instinct to pack and not talk. Riley blinked his way back to this world, and sorrow filled his eyes. It was a heartbreaking expression, and Jack had seen it too many times since meeting Riley to not know something terrible must have happened. He put two and two together and came up with the only solution that would make sense in all of this. "Did they find out about what Lisa did?" No one outside of a few members of the family knew it had been Jeff's wife who had shot him, as Riley's father had taken the fall. If anyone found it out now, it would mean ruin for far too many people with secrets. <br /><br />"No. It's me." <br /><br />"You?" <br /><br />"God. I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Riley's face held so much grief. <br /><br />"Ri, you're scaring me." <br /><br />"Eden said…" Riley twisted his fingers into his short hair, closing his eyes. <br /><br />"What!" <br /><br />"A daughter." Riley opened his eyes, and his expression was anguished. "Fuck, Jack. I have a daughter." <br /><br /></div><div><b>Chapter 2 </b><br /><br />"What?" Jack was shocked, and that was an understatement. He wasn't sure what Riley had said was actually what he'd heard. Maybe he'd heard wrong?<br /><br />"The calls. All of them. They were from Eden. The child's great aunt has been trying to contact me through her. Shit, Jack. There's a letter that says I'm the dad." <br /><br />"When?" Words of one syllable seemed to fit the moment. A dad? Riley couldn't have fathered a kid since they'd married. Riley hadn't had time to cat around on him. No. He dismissed the instant reaction with an internal flush of shame. Riley wouldn't do that anyway. They loved each other. <br /><br />"She's eight," Riley said much to Jack's relief and then slumped to the bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. <br /><br />"Okay. So you were what? Twenty?" <br /><br />"College. The woman—girl—Lexie, she was in my business course. I remember the name." <br /><br />Jack bit his tongue to follow this line of thought. Given what he knew of Riley's past, remembering a name in all of this was a good thing. Riley's time before his marriage had been one long party. <br /><br />"So you have a letter. That doesn't prove anything. We'll get blood tests. Fight it if you need to." <br /><br />Riley looked up at him, grim determination bracketing his mouth. <br /><br />"I remember her," he said. "Lexie, I mean. She was just someone I hooked up with, but it lasted longer than most. For nearly three months. I liked her. Jeez, I even took her home for Easter, introduced her to my family, for what it was worth. She was normal, you know, not society, not a daughter of someone who thought a lot of themselves. Just a girl I sat next to in business studies." Riley frowned as he spoke. "She disappeared. Just up and left a few weeks after the break, left some note about moving colleges and thanks, but no thanks." <br /><br />"She left you when she was pregnant then?" <br /><br />"I don't know. Her note was brief." <br /><br />"You didn't suspect she was pregnant?" <br /><br />Riley shook his head. "No, and I was always so careful. Always." <br /><br />"Not everything works one hundred percent of the time, Ri. You know that." Jack hadn't meant to say anything so bluntly, but he was trying his hardest to find the right thing to say. <br /><br />"Shit," Riley said miserably. <br /><br />"Look, she may be testing the waters to see how much money she can get from you, and getting a paternity test is easy. Worst-case scenario, if she's entitled to any of your money for child support, then it can be cleared up one way or the other out of court. Best case, it'll prove you're in the clear." Riley stared back at him with wide eyes. Laying out the extremes was something he felt Riley should hear. Jack expected him to agree, but what Riley said next rocked Jack to the core. <br /><br />"She's not going to be fighting it." Riley closed his eyes. "She's dead Jack. That's why Eden called me. They were at the house. With Lexie's daughter. Her name is Hayley. Funny that. She'd be Hayley Hayes." Jack dropped to his knees between Riley's legs, looking up at him. The last part sounded like Riley was close to losing his cool. In his shock, all his words were staccato. <br /><br />"Whatever this is, we can get through it." Unspoken was the "together" he'd left off at the end of the sentence. <br /><br />"What if she's actually mine? What will I do?" Riley was looking to Jack for reassurance. For just the right words that would make this all seem okay. Jack's heart clenched and emotion choked his throat. Inside, he'd always known one day something from Riley's past would come back and kick them both to the curb. Something from his old Hayes Oil days, something in Jeff's death, anything but a freaking child born to an ex. Still, it didn't change how Jack felt, and his instant reaction was one of "we'll get through this". <br /><br />"We," Jack offered simply. He emphasized the single word with a gentle poke to Riley's broad chest. "You mean what will we do?" <br /><br />"I don't…" Riley began and then stopped, unable to meet Jack's gaze. Jack wasn't going to waste time wondering what space Riley was disappearing into. He needed cold hard facts to make decisions here. "I don't know what is going to happen here. I don't know anything. Eden just said I need to get home." <br /><br />"Let's go." Jack injected as much encouragement into his voice as he could find, and leaving Riley sitting in numb and silent shock, he began to pack. <br /><br /><br /><br />* * * * <br /><br /><br /><br />The Hayes Oil jet was stationary at the end of the island's runway. Jack couldn't help but remember another time he had walked to the jet with similar shock inside him. That time he had been on his way to an arranged marriage with a man who was blackmailing him. This time he was trying to filter everything dumped on Riley in a freaking phone call, and it wasn't easy. Riley was deadly quiet, and Jack didn't know what to say. His husband was lost in thought and looking more and more distressed as time passed. Jack didn't know what would be best to do, but he didn't want to lose Riley to memories. Jack was a man who made decisions on evidence, and a small part of him considered the matter something he couldn't concentrate on until they were aware of all the facts. They boarded in silence, Riley obviously deep in thought, and were in the air in ten minutes and on their way back home. <br /><br />"Shit," Riley swore as he undid his belt and started pacing the stark interior of the jet. Jack removed his own belt and leaned forward in his seat. He waited. Riley had every right to get everything out of his system, and as much as Jack wanted to stop Riley from losing it, he stopped himself from interfering. Jack expected more swearing and blustering and was completely blown away when all Riley did was slump down in the seat opposite his and bury his head in his hands. "I'm really sorry." Riley's emotions were so close to the surface Jack could feel every single one of them. <br /><br />"Stop apologizing," he ordered. He hated it when Riley felt like he needed to keep saying sorry. <br /><br />"Sorry," Riley instantly said, and then smiled briefly at his reaction. "Okay, I won't do any more apologizing," he added, and then he sat upright and stared straight at Jack. <br /><br />"How are you feeling?" Jack asked. Whether his husband would be able to vocalize how he was feeling was another matter altogether. Riley Campbell-Hayes was good at the art of saying nothing and internalizing everything. <br /><br />"Pissed. Sad. Scared," Riley answered after a brief pause. Well, a start, Jack thought. Riley appeared to have most of the natural emotions after a shock in one hit. "We need to talk." Riley leaned forward in the seat and looked more serious and earnest than Jack had ever seen him. "I've been thinking, just from the instant reaction of it all. It's way more than you signed on for. If she's mine—if she's a Hayes—or hell, even if she isn't mine, but she's alone? I couldn't turn her away." <br /><br />"I know you couldn't, Ri." Compassion filled Jack as he saw the decisions flying across Riley's expression. His husband could no more turn away a child than Jack could. <br /><br />"So what I wanted to say is…" Riley sighed, and reached for Jack's hand, which he gripped tightly. "I won't hold you to anything, and I would understand if you decided an instant child—a daughter—was too much." The words came out in a rush of emotion, and it took a few seconds for Jack to filter through the meaning of what Riley was saying. When he did finally understand what Riley was saying, Jack didn't know what to feel first—pissed that Riley thought Jack would back off or proud that Riley wasn't questioning this child's place somewhere in his own life. Pride won over, along with a healthy dose of affection. <br /><br />"Okay," Jack said carefully. He mimicked Riley's stance and leaned forward. "Come closer so I can hit you for being stupid. Do you think that would that help?" <br /><br />"Hit me?" Shock appeared to push through the glassy-eyed sincerity Riley had been trying for. He glanced down where Jack's hands were resting on the arms of the seat and then back up at Jack. This time his expression held uncertainty. <br /><br />"I'm going to say this once," Jack said carefully. "You are my husband, and what happens to you, happens to me. Does that make it clear?" <br /><br />Riley nodded. "It does. I'm just so tired." <br /><br />"We haven't slept for a while. We're gonna need clear heads back home so maybe we should try and get some rest?" <br /><br />"I don't think I can." Riley held himself stiffly as Jack tugged on his hand and took him to the couch at the back of the jet. It was dark and soft and incredibly comfortable and dead opposite a huge flat screen TV. Jack flicked to a music channel, and the two men sat side by side. Within minutes, Riley was leaning in against Jack and had closed his eyes in slumber. <br /><br />Jack didn't join him in sleep for a while. His brain was as full as it had been this morning. This time though there was a fresh worry inside him and a new space for contemplation. He hadn't been joking when he'd said he could have smacked Riley for thinking he'd back away at the first sign of trouble. He chalked it up to shock, though, and thought little more on the matter. Instead, he concentrated on the little girl who had been bought to Dallas looking for a daddy. Children were something dancing around the edges of his life plans. To maybe adopt and to extend his family with Riley was one part of his future. He just hadn't taken the thoughts any further, including not mentioning them to Riley. Hayley may well be a destined part of their family. It wouldn't be easy taking on an eight-year-old whose momma had just died. She was currently being taken care of by an aunt, and she had lost her momma. Jack's heart ached for the little girl and her big world of scary monsters. <br /><br />Riley interrupted his thoughts by murmuring in his sleep. Jack strained to listen but couldn't make out the restless words. Compassion welled inside just because he felt sure Riley's dreams were not good ones. Wondering whether he should wake up his husband, he rested a hand on Riley's arm, but instead of shaking his lover awake, he smoothed a hand up and down over taut muscles in a rhythmic motion. He didn't stop until Riley turned closer and buried his face in the juncture of Jack's neck and shoulder. Shifting slightly, he allowed himself to sink lower in the sofa, Riley naturally curling into him and following the movement. Lulled by Riley's rhythmic breathing and the huff of each breath warm on his neck, it didn't take Jack long to chase him into sleep.</div>

Texas Winter (sequel to Heart of Texas)

Texas Series Book 1 - The Heart of Texas Book 2 - Texas Winter Book 3 - Texas Heat Book 4 - Texas Family (Coming Soon) The Book Riley’s past...

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Eoin (The Fire Trilogy)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Eoin is faced with the end of times. With his friends at his side, can he rescue the prisoner that might hold the secrets to winning the battle between Cariad and City as well as the key to his heart?<br /><div><br />His bond brothers, Kian and Darach, probably hate him for his necessary lie, two-thirds of the Council wants him dead, and the prisoner’s amber Fire is killing them both.<br /><br />The third book in the Fire Trilogy discovers more old Guardians, ancient Cariad magik, and not least of all the other half of Eoin: Trystyn.</div>

Eoin (The Fire Trilogy)

Eoin is faced with the end of times. With his friends at his side, can he rescue the prisoner that might hold the secrets to winning the bat...

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Love Is In The Hallways

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Bc47H_JRXgLw5LVlhuf9rClZ2I7P9Yn1hBkzr_A_kp7z8lMGWdYZPcQNIbJH-RPrjDHYPb1q7Ad5GT3okO5YHan5UbDbGg-6a15u_njQ5MAwp8oqeuMZQFy0cVkTVSxHW85XDCgiKBM/s1600/Love+is+in+the+hallways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Bc47H_JRXgLw5LVlhuf9rClZ2I7P9Yn1hBkzr_A_kp7z8lMGWdYZPcQNIbJH-RPrjDHYPb1q7Ad5GT3okO5YHan5UbDbGg-6a15u_njQ5MAwp8oqeuMZQFy0cVkTVSxHW85XDCgiKBM/s400/Love+is+in+the+hallways.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Love is Series</span></strong> <br /><br />Book 1 - <a href="http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/love-is-in-title.html">Love is in the title</a><br />Book 2 - Love is in the hallways<br />Book 3 - <a href="http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/love-is-in-message.html">Love is in the message</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Book</strong></span><br /><br />Luke is still on cloud nine after what happened in the park with Cameron. He has a boyfriend and is in shock. At the same time he is completely and utterly head over heels in love.<br /><br />Cameron wants to announce the two of them as a couple at school. He is adamant that together Luke and Cam can make changes in the way being gay is perceived at school.<br /><br />Luke knows just what real life can be like. His heart wants to believe that Cameron is right but his head tells him differently.<br /><br />When everyone starts to accuse Luke of changing Cameron he wonders if he can ever be happy in a relationship. Not just at school.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Buy Links - eBook</strong></span><br /><br /><a href="https://www.lovelanebooks.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=12" target="_blank">Love Lane Books</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JK6K4Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005JK6K4Q&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-20" target="_blank">Amazon (US)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005JK6K4Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B005JK6K4Q&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-21" target="_blank">Amazon (UK)</a> | <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loveisinthehallways-598647-145.html" target="_blank">All Romance</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-is-in-the-hallways-rj-scott/1113779780?ean=2940045055109" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/love-is-in-the-hallways-love-is-book-2" target="_blank">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/rj-scott/love-is-in-the-hallways-love-is-book-2/_/R-400000000000000861439" target="_blank">Sony</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/250319" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Reviews</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><a href="http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/love-is-in-the-hallways-by-r-j-scott/" target="_blank">Top to Bottom reviews</a></strong> - <strong>5/5</strong> - "....R.J. Scott sets the perfect tone in this series, that delicate balance between elation and sorrow, hope and despair, which makes it, in my most humble opinion, a must read for fans of Young Adult fiction. This is a story of the power of friendship, of the strength that can be found in those who stand by you through the good and the bad, giving you the courage to live and love out loud...."<br /><br /><a href="http://jjlevesque.wordpress.com/2011/08/27/review-love-is-in-the-hallways-by-rj-scott/" target="_blank"><strong>J.J. Lavesque</strong></a> - "....The author has done a brilliant job at capturing the emotions of two boys who want to be themselves, but are also afraid of the repercussions. To really understand this story, you need to read the first, because it takes place just before this one. This was a short read, but well worth it...."<br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><br />

Love Is In The Hallways

Love is Series Book 1 - Love is in the title Book 2 - Love is in the hallways Book 3 - Love is in the message The Book Luke is still on clo...

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One Night

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvYCYfH9U1xQEwn6Sl6uDx-g7gmWqlNxAVmaynoYZ-Km1OycojYilEl_E0WZQrPz8VbdHOa4qyH2YqmL0a8cwSRESIIeCOVdACLHQH1pptw2XosxibGAzEWbJlKzcFyS1sXPaGfP_SA/s1600/One+Night+4x6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvYCYfH9U1xQEwn6Sl6uDx-g7gmWqlNxAVmaynoYZ-Km1OycojYilEl_E0WZQrPz8VbdHOa4qyH2YqmL0a8cwSRESIIeCOVdACLHQH1pptw2XosxibGAzEWbJlKzcFyS1sXPaGfP_SA/s320/One+Night+4x6.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Book</b></span><br /><br />Liam Wade is facing the biggest change in his life since marrying his best friend, Janelle, and adopting her daughter. Janelle has long since passed on, losing the battle to live a few days after her daughter is born, leaving Liam a father, in need of finding a mother for his daughter Emma.<br /><br />He's rich, successful, and Leigh is the perfect, approved, wife for him. Before he settles down to give his daughter the best family he can, he wants one week away, to think. Just to make sure that he can leave half of himself hidden and marry without love, because Liam has one big problem in all of this -- he's gay.<br /><div><br />Micah Adamson is the owner of a vineyard in Rochester NY, and has yet to find the partner he knows is out there for him. he believes in love and wants forever, and one day he knows he will find his 'forever' man. He attends a wine festival in Santa Monica, seven nights in a beautiful hotel on the beach.<br /><br />Micah wants to show that love between two men includes affection, understanding, and can be forever. Will he make Liam see sense?<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buy Links - eBook</b></span><br /><br /><a href="https://www.lovelanebooks.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=37" target="_blank">Love Lane Books</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D8DDORC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00D8DDORC&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-21" target="_blank">Amazon (UK)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8DDORC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D8DDORC&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-20" target="_blank">Amazon (US)</a> | <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-onenight-1217011-149.html" target="_blank">All Romance EBooks</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-night-rj-scott/1104458446?ean=2940044573154" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/323490" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> |  <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/one-night-8" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Buy Links - Print Book</span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492298492/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1492298492&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-20" target="_blank">Amazon (US)</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1492298492/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1492298492&linkCode=as2&tag=rjsc-21" target="_blank">Amazon (UK)</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reviews</b></span><br /><br /><a href="http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=14010" target="_blank"><strong>Mrs Condit Reads Books and a recommended read</strong></a>  <strong>5/5</strong>- One Night is a beautiful retelling of the oldest romance story in the world, the meeting by chance of two people, from totally different walks of life, and how that meeting turns their lives upside down. Highly recommended if you love tortured souls coming out and believe love can triumph over everything else.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.blackravensreviews.com/?p=7423">Black Ravens Reviews</a> 4/5 </b>RJ Scott takes her readers on Liam’s life-altering journey as he becomes comfortable with his sexuality. It is a powerful lesson in living life on one’s own terms no matter what the family’s expectations might be. And yes in the end, this novel is a love story as Micah and Liam explore the possibilities of the future their One Night has opened for them.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/one-night/">MM Good Book Reviews</a> 4.5/5</b> I thought this story was incredibly touching as a father tries to do what is best for his daughter. You can feel his need to do right by his daughter; to give her the best upbringing that he can, even if it means that he sacrifices his own happiness. You feel incredibly sad for both these men as all they want is to be loved for themselves, not what they have or their name.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1367942.html"><b>Elisa Rolle</b></a> There is a trend in romance for novels that make you dream; sure you are of the working class, you will never have the change to spend time in the hotels you read about in these stories, but nevertheless, you don’t want to read about how difficult is to pay the next bill, or the difficulties you will face if you fall in love for someone who lives on the other side of the country… you want to read of Micah and Liam’s trouble, trouble that will be solved in an heartbeat, as soon as Liam will find the courage to finally be the man he wants to be. Micah and Liam will not be touched by the ugliness of the world, and the happily every after will be there, waiting for them.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Excerpt</b></span><br /><br /><b>Chapters 1-3<br /><br />Chapter 1</b></div><div><b><br /></b>“Oh yeah, I meant to tell you, I sorted out your flights to LA.” <br /><br />Jeez, that had been one hell of a change of subject. One minute Micah was discussing buying more land for the vineyard, and the next, his sister hit him with flights from Rochester. <br /><br />“Why would you do that? I didn’t say I was definitely going,” Micah responded quickly. Damn it, every year Abbey brought this up in front of witnesses. He never had a real chance to argue back. Alex, his brother-in-law, looked up at him from the piles of papers on the desk with an expression of sympathy, but didn’t join in to defend or to encourage. He clearly knew to stay out of things when his wife was set on something. <br /><br />“You say that,” Abbey pressed, “but when push comes to shove, you always end up getting on the flight, and then you have fun.” <br /><br />“But I thought with Rosie having the baby and all… Doesn’t that put a different spin on it?” The words tumbled out of him in a rush of defensiveness. He really thought this year, with his other sister just having gifted the family with a new baby girl and thus unable to work, he could get away with not going anywhere. There was so much to do here, grapes to grade, the new pages on the website to change… <br /><br />“Seven nights is all. You need to get away, take the vacation time, meet up with your friends, and network with the winey-type people.” <br /><br />“You won’t be able—” he started to protest, but Abbey held up her hand to stop him. <br /><br />“We’ll be fine. It’s all taken care of. We’ve discussed this already. Alex is taking a break and will be here every day working with Zach.” She indicated her husband. Alex was still very quiet but lifted his hand and waved it in agreement. <br /><br />“We’ll talk about this later,” Micah huffed. Surely, even though she said she had sorted out the flights, she couldn’t have booked everything yet, could she? She seemed to read his mind. Damn sibling connection. <br /><br />“Flights are booked—ROC to LAX with only one stopover. I booked you into the hotel where they are holding the conference. It’s right on the beach, and I got your room upgraded. It’s got a hot tub and shower with all kinds of fancy settings. Just what you need.” <br /><br />“But—” <br /><br />“All you need to find is a hot man when you’re there and you’ll be all set.” <br /><br />“Abbey—” <br /><br />“I’m not discussing this with you.” <br /><br />“I’m a grown man. Alex, tell her.” Micah pleaded for support, but if anything Alex slumped lower in his chair. <br /><br />“Yes you are. A grown man who needs a damn vacation,” his sister said firmly. <br /><br />Later as the evening was rolling in and smudging the sky with a purple-gray, Micah stood at the fence, looking out over his grapes, feeling blindsided and completely out-maneuvered. He sensed Alex walk up and stand next to him. Alex would have known what Abbey and Rosie were planning and even though Alex and Micah had been friends since grade school and so he should have had Micah’s back, he couldn’t be angry with the guy. Micah’s sisters were very persuasive. <br /><br />The two men stood in companionable silence for a while until Alex cleared his throat. Micah could sense the other man grinning from where he stood. Micah’s week away was a standing joke and almost word for word he could guess exactly what his best friend was going to start in on. He wasn’t wrong. <br /><br />“So your gay ass is going to the beach for your annual tail-chasing trip.” Same old, same old, every year. <br /><br />Micah huffed. “If you weren’t married to my sister, I would take you down right now.” There wasn’t really a lot of heat in Micah’s tone; he was waiting for the rest of the same old joke Alex made every damn year. <br /><br />“Did you put lube and condoms on the house grocery list?” <br /><br />“Fuck off, Alex.” <br /><br />“It’s okay, buddy. Leave it to me and I’ll get Abbey to add them.” <br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Chapter 2 </b><br /><br /><br /><br />“Your purchases, Mr. Wade.” <br /><br />Liam opened the door wider to allow the bellhop into his room, casting a critical eye over the collection of bags that were being given to him. He hadn’t bothered to pack much for his stay at the ocean. In fact, it was very rare he ever really packed to go anywhere. His credit card purchased most of the things he needed in one-stop shopping at hotel boutiques. This was killing two birds with one stone at its best—no outbound packing necessary and a near-empty suitcase to fill with a new season of clothes. He opened his wallet and pulled out a fifty-dollar tip, handing it to the young man who stood patiently at the door. Fifty was what he imagined was expected given he was in one of the few luxury suites in the hotel, the ones with five rooms and patio areas leading onto the beach. <br /><br />There wasn’t really any way he was going to be recognized. He wasn’t known because of publicity or from appearing in tabloids and magazines. He was from old money, which followed him everywhere he went. Still, a week away from his family, with the plans he had in his head and the things he needed to do, meant he had to rely on the discretion of people around him, and that started here. <br /><br />Liam tilted his head and read from the badge. “Thank you, Oscar.” He was rewarded with a genuine smile before the man slipped past him and left. He began to unpack his purchases, shaking out limited creases and hanging everything on hangers in the bathroom. He could get service to iron everything, but a quick run of the shower to get the steam in the room and everything should be good to go. His phone signaled an incoming call, and he smiled at the picture on the screen before answering it on the third ring. <br /><br />“Daddy, I gotta new doll.” The voice of his three-year-old daughter held so much excitement, and he couldn’t lose the grin. <br /><br />“Did you, baby? Is it a pretty doll?” <br /><br />“Uh huh. I called her Susie an’ she has a friend named Anna.” <br /><br />“Two new dolls?” <br /><br />“Two.” <br /><br />“Are you being a good girl for your Nanna?” <br /><br />“Yes, Daddy…bye.” <br /><br />“Love you, pumpkin.” <br /><br />“Lub you, Daddy.” There was a pause then the sound of a phone being passed to another. <br /><br />“Liam?” <br /><br />“Hi, Mom, is she being good for you?” <br /><br />“She is an angel, darling. Are you having fun?” <br /><br />“Not yet, Mom, only been in the room a while.” <br /><br />“Your dad wants a word.” Her voice sounded calm, but the word dad was enough to make Liam sigh semi-dramatically with his hand over the receiver. <br /><br />“Son?” <br /><br />“Dad.” <br /><br />“Did you get to look at the Ascot Hemling paperwork?” Yep, straight in there with all the office shit. Great. <br /><br />“Briefly, Dad.” On the plane for about ten minutes. <br /><br />“You do remember I’d like your thoughts on the proposals for the meeting on Monday.” <br /><br />“I do, Dad.” <br /><br />“Your mother says goodbye, son. Enjoy your break.” The phone disconnected, and Liam felt like banging his head against a wall. Why was it with those three words, enjoy your break, Patrick Wade had managed to sour Liam’s mood? He was the patriarch of both the family and of Wade-Bellings, the second biggest firm of corporate attorneys in Seattle. Liam couldn’t avoid him, being the middle of three sons and a lawyer with the firm. One week. That is all he wanted, a week away from Seattle where everyone knew his family. Decompression, relaxation, taking photos, and forgetting who he was supposed to be. <br /><br />He missed Emma as he would a limb, but he would be a better father for carving out some space to get his head straight. He had decisions to make, huge judgments on what he should be doing next, and those decisions would greatly impact his life and hers. <br /><br />He needed time to be Liam, twenty-six and currently way back in the closet. Not engaged-daddy or responsible-son or model-employee. This week was all about him; it had to be. He was not going to turn twenty-seven and become married-Liam without deciding things about himself one way or the other. <br /><br />His family and his fiancée didn’t understand. Leigh, usually the perfect, attentive fiancée, had not been that focused lately, appearing reluctant to spend any alone time with him. What did he expect, their engagement had been planned like military maneuvers by their respective parents. She didn’t love him and he didn’t love her, but it suited family and each other to tie the knot. Or at least it had sounded like a good idea when her father first approached his. Their joining was to be a marriage of convenience and he liked Leigh well enough. He just couldn’t ever learn to love her or bring himself to sleep with her. Lately she had been as happy as he to have time apart. He even suspected she had a lover, and good for her. If only it was as easy for a blue-blooded middle child of an old monied family to find a lover. <br /><br />The avoidance was his fault. He was like ice when he was with her, always making excuses to avoid being alone with her, wanting alone time for moments when he could breathe. Like this week, this whole seven days on his own. <br /><br />He didn’t expect his family to understand this week away, although Leigh had understood immediately. He had used the bachelor break with a college friend excuse, and thankfully, at least to his face, his mom and dad had bought the reason for the vacation. Especially with the wedding so close now, only six weeks in the future. <br /><br />The wedding. <br /><br />He sighed noisily and then cursed. It was getting too late to really pull off changing his mind. Marrying Leigh was all kinds of good, especially given that Emma needed a female influence in her life now that her mother was gone. <br /><br />Powering up his laptop, he opened his mail and gave it a cursory glance. There was nothing there that wasn’t automatically copied to his secretary and several other colleagues. He closed the email down before his nagging conscience decided he needed to open each and every mail and ensure it didn’t hold something important. Then he did what he really wanted to do. <br /><br />Opening his pictures folder, he scrolled to the latest dates, connecting his Canon and downloading the newest batch of photos. They were simple shots from his departure at Seattle, his flight, and then his arrival at LAX. People, places, half-eaten dinners, flight plans, the sky, the well-worn carpet…anything that caught his eye. As he waited for them to download, he glanced out the window to the wide beach in front of him, which was his next subject. At midday the beach was full, each person out there basking in the heat of the sun, all golden, toned, and fit. His gaze moved from the view outside to his reflection in the mirror, and he idly noted his indoor-office pallor—pasty skin and tired eyes. <br /><br />Photography on the beach, out in the sun, would be a start to getting some color before he headed home. Layer by layer he removed his traveling clothes, slathered on copious amounts of sunscreen, and then donned the uniform for the beach—board shorts, a cerise T-shirt, a cap, sunglasses, and flimsy beach shoes—and he was ready to go. He didn’t even have to go out through the hotel. His wealth got him the best room in the hotel. The bill for the level of luxury he had this week would probably be equal to the amount he would need to send Emma to college. For what he needed to do though, it was worth it. He had one of the few rooms that opened directly onto the beach, meaning he had to see no one, had to interact with no one, and in seconds, he was locking his beach door and beginning to people-watch from his small veranda. <br /><br />Life through his lens was so much more controlled than the life he was living. The quick splash or yell of excitement added to the chaos of the people on the sand, and the joy in faces was caught in a frozen moment. Children played in the sand, and for a second, he wished Emma was here with him. She loved the beach and its endless possibilities, the castles and the moats, and the shells decorating crumbling battlements. He should take her to the beach. When he got home, he would book them a vacation; get them an island or something. <br /><br />He spent too much time working and depending on the nanny. He had no balance between work and life to speak of. Soon his little girl would be of school age without him even realizing, and that wasn’t right. Her mother would have hated what he had become in the name of providing stability for Emma. <br /><br />What kind of father made money and a high-flying career his priority when he had no need of either? Whatever he decided this week, at the top of his list was more vacation time and cutting his hours, even if it was down to sixty hours a week instead of the usual eighty. He was losing focus on his daughter, which was no life for her or for him. He wondered if Leigh liked the beach. He’d never actually asked. He considered the evidence he had collected so far about his socialite fiancée. She liked swimming—she made good use of the mansion’s pool when she stayed over. Beaches, however, with their associated mess and people, had never appeared to be on her to-do list. <br /><br />A couple was laughing and joking not more than twenty feet from him. He was too far from them to hear the shared story, but close enough to capture laugh lines and intent on film. She was leaning in, and he was strong and steady, supporting her slight weight in a firm hold. They exchanged laughter and kisses, but it wasn’t that part of the couple he was focusing on. He was focused on the play of sun on their entwined hands and the wisps of hair caught by the wind as it caressed her face. She was beautiful, sun-bronzed, and slim, and her partner/lover/husband was gorgeous and muscled. They were visually the perfect couple. <br /><br />He wanted with every fiber of his being to be part of something like that. He had been told on more than one occasion he wasn’t ugly, and Leigh was slim and beautiful and the very partner an up-and-coming attorney needed at his side. They had fun; Leigh wasn’t the uptight socialite other people saw. When they had occasion to be alone, she had proven to be witty, with a dry, irreverent sense of humor. <br /><br />He jumped the two steps, his feet sinking slightly in the warm sand, prickle-rough against his toes. There was no point in making decisions on his forever based on how ideal or not he looked as part of a society-blessed couple. Still, it had taken him a long time to come to that conclusion. Winding his way through the steady stream of people arriving and leaving, he finally found himself at the shoreline, his toes mere inches from the ocean. He inhaled deeply. The cool breeze was redolent with the brine and white foam that tumbled and slid to a stop at his feet. The expanse of sea brought with it shells and stones from near and distant places. The water left behind fascinating and intriguing patterns as it retreated along the path of least resistance around those shells and stones. <br /><br />He spent a good while focusing in with precision on the bold striations Mother Nature created. With each second that passed, he could feel the tension slipping from his shoulders, relaxing as the ocean lifted his melancholy. He was easily able to cancel out the noise of the people around him by humming under his breath and concentrating on his pictures. Before long he found himself away from the hotel and at a quieter spot, choosing that moment to sit on the sand Indian-style to contemplate his situation. <br /><br />He carefully placed his camera inside its case and laid it next to him, the strap wrapped around his hand—to be safe. <br /><br />Maybe he could draw up a list of the pros and cons? That was how he would do it in his pragmatic, sensible fashion. The biggest thing in the plus column was Emma needed a mother. In the negative column, it wasn’t like Leigh showed any real signs of interest in being a mom. Added to that, Emma and Leigh were not exactly the best of friends. Still, Emma would have stability, someone to talk to, to do girly things with. Then there was the whole having more kids thing. <br /><br />“I’m not sure I want to have babies,” Leigh had said thoughtfully the day they had talked about it. “We have Emma; I want to be a good mom to her, but that doesn’t mean I could deal with a new baby.” <br /><br />“We would have the nanny, and I would be there to help. I want to be there to help.” <br /><br />She looked down at her hands on her flat stomach and shivered delicately. “Maybe in a few years. Maybe.” <br /><br />He loved being Emma’s dad; that role in her life was the very thing that made him who he was. From the very second he’d held her in his arms, he’d been lost. It didn’t matter he wasn’t able to imagine having sex with Leigh, he was focusing on the principle of the thing. <br /><br />“You don’t want to have our own child one day?” He wanted to share the miracle of a child with the woman he would marry. Not for one minute had he thought she wouldn’t want to ever have kids. <br /><br />“I don’t need to.” She had turned more stubborn at that point. He had backed off almost immediately. No point in rocking the boat for a stupid senseless discussion. He had always been honest with her, had told her everything about how he felt, and trusted her with his attraction to other men. They both knew theirs was a marriage of convenience. <br /><br />She personified tasteful and restrained. She accepted Emma as her daughter, accepted his hidden sexual orientation, and promised to never tell anyone. He provided her with the money and prestige of the Wade name and ignored any relationship she may take outside of the unused marital bed. As she did with him. He sighed inwardly. What level of society did he belong to where this was even considered normal? <br /><br />Surely she wanted more for herself? Hell, he certainly wanted more for himself and much more for Emma. She might not be his biological child, but she was a child of his heart. She couldn’t be more his daughter, blood or no blood. Was he really ready to bow down to family pressure just to give Emma the requisite parental unit? He rested his elbows on his knees and cupped his face in his hands, closing his eyes and focusing only on the rhythm of the sea. How long he sat there he wasn’t sure. His only indicator was the cooling of the temperature as the midday heat diminished around him. Why was he even here thinking he needed to make decisions, when the only really important thing in his life was Emma? <br /><br /><br /><br />* * * * * <br /><br /><br /><br />Micah was sitting back comfortably against the storm wall, idly running sand through his fingers, and he’d been watching the blond guy for some time. The guy hadn’t moved for a good hour. He’d started by staring out at the sea before bowing his head and covering his face with his hands. He was clearly meditating or some New Age LA hippy crap, communing with nature and all that. <br /><br />From this distance, maybe twenty feet or less, Micah couldn’t make out much in the way of features, but blond was one asset that was obvious. Fit was another, even if tending towards pale skinned. Micah’s whole life meant spending time outside, which left him perpetually sun-kissed. He shouldn’t really judge the poor New Age guy—he was probably some desk jockey or herbalist who never saw the light of day. <br /><br />The tide was turning, the water stretching for the sands. Every so often the lacy foam would sneak a bit too close to the blond guy’s feet, but he seemed oblivious. Micah stood, stretching tall, and then spent a few moments observing the situation from his newly vertical position. The guy had been taking photos by the hotel, and the camera he’d been using didn’t look cheap. If he still had it with him and he got caught by the water… Someone should go warn him. He looked up and down the beach. His walk had taken him to a quieter place where there were not as many people, and certainly no one else seemed to be staring at the quiet figure hunched on the shoreline. That left him and his frustrating internal need to fix things pushing him down the sand and towards the shoreline. Stupid. <br /><br />Whether the toned, introspective, fair-haired, pale-skinned hippy guy got wet was not his business. LA wasn’t like the Finger Lakes, and he was sure people didn’t just up and help others out for no good reason. Digging his hands in his jean pockets and coming to a stop, he considered instead whether he should ignore the situation. It should be easy enough to stop with the damn worrying he was doing and return to his room. The official opening of the wine convention was in a couple of hours, and he needed a shower and to make at least one call to his sister for an update. <br /><br />Something untraceable in his thoughts, however, made him seemingly unable to move away from the train wreck he could see happening. Sea plus meditating guy plus expensive camera equaled something maybe he should be filming for Candid Camera. The encroaching sea was fascinating, and his inability to back away from saving others from potential embarrassment was guiding his actions. Also even not having seen his face, Micah knew this guy had one seriously hot body, and he wanted to stare. Whatever his reasons for getting involved he wasn’t actually moving, and in fact, his brain was telling him to shout out a warning instead. <br /><br />“Hey,” he finally said as firmly as he could, then realized when the guy didn’t move he wasn’t sure what else to say. Hey, the tide is coming in, watch the camera, you seem hot, any chance you are… Nope, not going there. He sauntered closer, one eye on the tide, the other on the camera, until only a few feet separated them. He got a better look at the man and the camera case, which was actually lying on the sand next to him. <br /><br />“Hey,” he said a bit louder, stumbling back as the man jumped and lurched to his feet, both disoriented and surprised. <br /><br />“What?” the other man forced out, clearly startled. <br /><br />“Your—” Micah saw two things before a sentence came out of his mouth—the camera and the next wave as it smashed towards them. In a sudden flurry of motion, he bent and grabbed at the camera, just as the water flooded the place where it had been. Hot guy stood there, his mouth open, the water lapping around his feet before retreating. <br /><br />“My…shit…my camera. Thank you.” Micah handed it back, and the stranger grasped it, pulling it to his chest like it was the most precious of things. <br /><br />“I saw…” Rather overwhelmed, Micah was kind of lost for words. The slim figure, the broad back, and the blond hair were nothing compared to the guy’s face. He was handsome, beautiful, pretty, and all the other flowery adjectives that probably didn’t do real justice to sex on legs. His blond hair was short and slightly spiky, and his eyes as blue as the sea behind him. His current expression was one of openmouthed shock, but then suddenly, his lips quirked in a crooked smile. <br /><br />“Thank you,” he said, and Micah mumbled “s’okay” as the man backed up, sketched a wave of thanks, and then jogged up the beach and away from him. <br /><br />Micah didn’t move. He watched the other man go, eyebrows raised as he sifted through what had just occurred. New Age meditating guy certainly didn’t look like a hippy. In fact, he looked not long out of college. He couldn’t have been more than twenty-five or so, and he sure did love that camera. <br /><br />Intriguing. <br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Chapter 3</b> <br /><br /><br /><br />Smart black pants and crisp blue shirt does not a businessman make, but Micah tried. He wanted to be seen as the responsible, successful co-owner and manager of one of the most established vineyards and wineries in New York State. He was showcasing his wines alongside other growers and makers in the US, and it was always good to show a positive impression of the business behind the taste. “I hate this,” he stated simply as soon as Rosie answered the phone. She chose to ignore him. <br /><br />“Is your room nice?” <br /><br />“It has a bed.” He was grumpy and out of sorts, and as it was Abbey and Rosie’s fault he was here, he was damn well going to make sure she knew. <br /><br />“Is it a nice bed?” He sighed, glancing over at what was actually a very nice bed. Draped in white linens and cream and gray throw cushions, it was a solid bed, oak if he wasn’t mistaken, with intricate carving on the headboard and almost big enough for three. He looked forward to sleeping in it tonight, although he didn’t want to let his sister know that. <br /><br />“Yes, Rosie. A nice bed, with throwy-type cushiony things.” <br /><br />“Throwy?” she said with that fond patronizing tone that only sisters could fully develop after many years of practice. <br /><br />“Yeah.” He waved expansively, even though she couldn’t see. “And there’s this huge sofa at the end with a table and fruit.” <br /><br />“Is the bathroom as beautiful as it looked on the website?” <br /><br />He glanced in through the open door, still steamy from his shower. The bathroom was neat, polished, and white with a large circular bath sunk into the raised floor. <br /><br />“I had a shower,” he supplied helpfully and pulled the door closed from the habit of sharing a bathroom at home. <br /><br />“Did you not try the Jacuzzi bath?” She sounded disappointed. “Abbey said she upgraded you to a room with one.” <br /><br />“I’ve only been here five hours. Later, I promise.” <br /><br />“Do you have a view?” <br /><br />“The beach, the ocean, and people. Lots of people. I don’t like people.” He heard her mutter something under her breath that sounded like “ungrateful brothers”, and it made him smile. <br /><br />“Did you shave?” she asked. Micah ran a hand over the stubble on his face, feeling the roughness of three days’ growth against his hand. He could shave in the morning and have five o’clock shadow in the space of a few hours. What was the point in shaving all the time? <br /><br />“I’m on vacation,” he protested. <br /><br />“Jeez, Micah, just shave already.” <br /><br />“Okay, okay.” Damn his sister for wanting to add twenty minutes to getting ready. “How’re things at home?” <br /><br />“Since you left this morning? Everything is fine.” <br /><br />“What about the order from the Johnsons? Did you manage to track down—” <br /><br />“Micah, stop. Everything is good. So, is it the welcome thing now?” <br /><br />When she changed the subject, Micah knew he would not be allowed to ask about the business again. Idly he turned over the leaflet that included a list of events for the week. <br /><br />“Champagne and strawberries,” he finally said. “Tonight that is, and then…” He traced the list. “Wednesday is some beach thing, and Thursday is the company promotion.” <br /><br />“What are you wearing tonight?” <br /><br />“Rosie—” <br /><br />“Did you choose the blue shirt? Because it looks good with your eyes.” <br /><br />“Yes, I—” <br /><br />“And will you shave?” Ouch, she wasn’t leaving it alone. He normally left shaving to every other day or three, so sue him. His job didn’t exactly demand he be all dressed up at all times. Hell, jeans and a T were his staple wardrobe. <br /><br />“I’ll shave.” <br /><br />“Okay then, big brother, do that and then get your sparkly ass out there and find a man.” <br /><br />“I hate you.” <br /><br />She laughed and finished the call with a kiss and a “good luck”, and Micah placed his cell back on the bedside table. Every year he attended the wine convention, and every year it was the same old thing. His sisters—and by extension, his damn brothers-in-law—always expected him to get tail. He smiled, imagining the elderly Mr. Potter from the Elvendale Winery, or even Mrs. MacElhinney. She wasn’t a day under sixty and persisted in pinching his ass every year, despite her husband of forty years standing next to her. Yes, there were younger people that were new to the different wineries, especially the SoCal ones, but Micah was here to represent his business first and then to relax second. <br /><br />Part of that relaxation was finding a club, usually the same one—Liberation, with pretty boys to stare at and music that made you dance. He pulled himself back to the here and now, moving back to the bathroom and wiping the mirror. The water was hot, the soap thick and creamy, the blade sharp, and before long he skimmed a hand over his jaw, smooth and stubble free. He then tipped a small amount of aftershave on his hand. Zach had thrown it to him as he left, promising it always worked for him. That thought alone, of Rosie and Zach at it, was enough to make a grown man cry, but given his sister and her husband now had a baby, they clearly did do it. <br /><br />Still, he decided what the hell and packed it anyway. He sniffed the air appreciatively. Whatever it was, it had fresh swells of peppermint and lavender. It had combined with heart notes of what he thought was a spicy coriander, a hint of geranium and sandalwood, finally moving with the warm, sensual flow of amber and musk. When he realized what he was doing—analyzing the chemical composition of aftershave—he wondered who the hell did that. Aftershave is not wine. What an idiot. He was procrastinating; he clearly missed his wines and needed to go the hell home. <br /><br />The stairs swept down, the marble hard and gilt-edged, to the foyer, which bustled with wine producers. Some he recognized, most he didn’t, and as usual he imagined most had bussed in from cheaper hotels and hadn’t made use of this one. He guessed that at seven hundred a night it might well be out of the reach of a sensible budget. He was smug. Clearly, melding his annual vacation with the festival had its good points. <br /><br />“Micah! Micah Adamson!” Brilliant. Mr. Potter and his Elvendale contingent. “You must meet my great-nephew James. Spitting image of his mother, wouldn’t you say?” Micah extended his hand in greeting while assessing the new person in their small group. James was clearly happy to be there, and it appeared from his inability to stand straight, he had imbibed more than one glass of something before arriving. <br /><br />“James,” the young man slurred ever so slightly, and shook Micah’s hand with strength. <br /><br />“James is my protégé,” Mr. Potter said by way of introduction. “It takes a grape grower to see the potential in another, don’t you think?” Micah nodded his agreement, wondering privately if the self-medication James had undertaken was due to inexperience or the fondest wish not to have anything to do with wine or grapes. He resolved to corner the young man at a later time to dig further and turned as he felt a sharp pull on his pants and the pain of an accompanying pinch. <br /><br />“Why, Micah, how nice to see you.” Mrs. MacElhinney was smiling up at him, and despite the handful of his ass she had grabbed, he smiled back at her fondly. He bent to place a kiss on her cheek and stepped back, looking around her for Mr. MacElhinney, who popped out from behind a tall decorative banana plant with the look of the long suffering on his face. They exchanged pleasantries, this small and very odd group, and finally Micah was left to his own devices. Wandering the crowd casually, he found himself at the display table with a variety of champagne and wines as well as plates of chocolate-dipped strawberries. He had a weakness for chocolate and a deep love for the luscious scarlet berries that it covered. Taking a glass of red and a small plate of the fruit, he wandered onto the verandah of the event room, the dark of the evening pulling in and smudging the sky with gray and mauve. The wine was a really nice example of the best of SoCal, and he savored each sip before focusing on the chocolate and strawberries one by one. <br /><br />“I wanted to thank you properly.” Micah turned to see who had spoken to him, blinking at sex personified standing in front of him. The blond guy from the beach stood there in a suit that molded to every inch of him. Dark gray, almost black, it elevated him from meditating beach bum to CEO in seconds. His shirt was pristine white, and he had a cornflower blue tie knotted perfectly. God yes, his eyes really were that same incredible shade that Micah remembered from the beach. Micah had words to say, he really did. Important and clever, yet completely casual, words that said it was fine and there were no worries. All that came out was one word. <br /><br />“Sorry?” <br /><br />The guy looked flustered for a few seconds. “Earlier…you…my camera… It was you, wasn’t it? On the beach?” <br /><br />“Yeah, yeah, sorry, I was miles away. You’re welcome, no worries.” Blond guy thrust out his hand, the glint of a silver-colored watch on his wrist. <br /><br />“Liam Wade.” <br /><br />“Micah Adamson.” <br /><br />“Can I get you a drink, Mr. Adamson, to say thank you?” Micah frowned. Mr. Adamson sounded so formal. He decided his guess about this guy—this Liam—working in business wasn’t far off if he went round calling people mister. <br /><br />“Call me Micah.” <br /><br />“Okay, Micah. I would offer to actually buy you a drink, but they seem to be giving it away tonight.” He gestured to the layout of all the wines and frowned. “There is a bar here somewhere that probably has beer. I don’t know about you”—he lowered his voice—“but this wine is all a bit too formal for me, not really into it. I really need a beer.” Micah nearly choked on his last strawberry, coughing and trying to get control of his breathing. <br /><br />“It’s a welcome party for a small wine convention,” he finally managed to push out. <br /><br />“Oh, so that explains all the wine snobs sniffing their glasses.” Liam nodded wisely, as if he had suddenly discovered the whole reason for being. Micah couldn’t think of a single thing to say. He was torn between being affronted at Liam’s humor and agreeing with the absurdity of what some of these winery reps did in the name of knowing wine. Micah didn’t need all the dramatic sniffing and tasting and use of incredibly meaningless long words. He knew wine; he knew grapes; he wanted to share that with others. That was enough. <br /><br />“I’m a snob,” he blurted out, cursing inwardly at the what the hell did I just say? moment. To his credit, Liam said nothing, which left Micah enough time to correct his statement. “I mean I own a winery. My family owns a winery, near Rochester, a vineyard and a winery, Seneca Blue.” Liam looked at him, then down at the glass in his hand, pulling his lower lip between his teeth as if in deep thought. <br /><br />“They have vineyards in New York State?” Liam asked, completely open and honest in his curiosity. Micah smiled. Now that was a question he could handle. <br /><br />“The Finger Lakes region. We have snow, rain, and storms rolling in from Lake Ontario like you wouldn’t believe, but you can also find some of the sweetest, most perfect harvests you could imagine.” <br /><br />“Wow,” Liam murmured in response, and Micah narrowed his eyes. Was that a genuine wow or an oh shit stop talking wow? Micah had received both in his twenty-nine years. “Seriously, I imagine New York as this gloomy grayness. Just another Seattle, I guess.” Clearly that had been an interested wow. <br /><br />“Are you staying in the hotel?” Micah asked, placing his empty glass on one of the small tables scattered around. The question was an innocent one, but Liam appeared immediately defensive with a somewhat guarded expression on his face. <br /><br />“Are you?” he countered fairly quickly. <br /><br />“I am.” At those words, Liam seemed to relax slightly. <br /><br />“So am I.” <br /><br />Well, that was the oddest exchange Micah had ever had, and the warm fuzzy feelings of friendliness the wine created gave way to a nagging suspicion that the guy with the camera was slightly odd. Typical that the guy was hot—freaking hot, supernova hot—and clearly a tad…out of the ordinary. <br /><br />“Anyway”—Micah extended his hand, which Liam took again—“I must go back to the welcome part of this whole week. It was nice to meet you.” <br /><br />“Thank you again for rescuing my camera,” Liam called after him. Micah turned to wave goodbye, startled at the feeling of complete isolation that seemed to cloak Liam Wade. He looked lost standing there in his suit and his spit-shined shoes, his blond hair carefully pushed back from his face. Damn, but he looked lonely.</div>

One Night

The Book Liam Wade is facing the biggest change in his life since marrying his best friend, Janelle, and adopting her daughter. Janelle has ...

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